Harley-Davidson Xlcr Café Racer

HARLEY-DAVIDSON XLCR CAFÉ RACER

“Rock” meets “roll”

PETER EGAN

THINK I'LL HAVE TO SET ASIDE MY BIAS FOR BEVEL-DRIVE Ducatis and Sixties Triumph Twins for a moment and opine—in a fit of contrariness—that the Harley-Davidson XLCR Café Racer of 1977-78 may be the World’s Coolest Bike.

Yes, it has wooden brakes and vibrates and doesn’t go as fast as other Seventies’ café-racers, but it’s all black, looks stunning and they made only 3000 of them. Also, it has that prime anti-hero requirement of all things cool: It is both admired and misunderstood. Sportbike types either shudder at the sight or pronounce it “the only Harley I ever really lusted after,” and old Harley guys recognize it as a weird, hair-shirt offshoot of the True Faith. Neophyte Harley buffs squint at it suspiciously, necks shortening, as though they’ve just discovered a glowing stone obelisk covered with hieroglyphics in the rainforest. And those who don’t get it...really don’t get it.

Which is as it should be. I couldn’t explain the Rolling Stones to my parents, either. Rejection—and a failure to apologize—is just part of the deal.